Following the River
by FlammingAxel
Summary: Its that time of year again, the time when all the yokai begin to search for their mates. Everyone but a certain Kappa who dosn't care for such things. One day he stumbles upon his mate by accident but what happens if his mate is actually a human? What if this human dosn't believe him when he trys to explain everything? KappaXOC
1. Chapter 1

Following the River

_Disclaimer: I do not own nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

The kappa's dark brown scanned the yard of the Nura clan's main house. The area was bustling with many yokai in preparation for master Rikuo's birthday. He would be turning 14 tomorrow and as a result, the whole Nura clan was preparing for the celebration. Everyone except for one yokai, a kappa yokai. The kappa sat in his pond watching every busy yokai run by. Kappa was not told to do anything for the celebration so therefore he would not contribute unless asked to. Rikuo's birthday was on the 23rd of September, which also happened to fall in one of the two months were yokai would begin their search for a mate.

Many yokai can be lucky enough to find their mate during this time period whereas some do not find their mate at all throughout their entire life. In order to find your mate you must be willing to search a bit. If you get close to your future mate then you suddenly experience an uncontrollable feeling of longing, which leads you to your mate. Once you have found your mate, in order for both to become mates for life it must be sealed with a kiss.

Kappa had never been very interested in finding his soul mate nor did he ever understand the importance. Why search for something that you may never find? The kappa's attention was brought to two female yokai chatting with each other next to his pond.

"Oooooh I hope I find my mate this year" the mouse-like yokai spoke musingly.

"Yeah~ oh I hope he's handsome!" said the other fox yokai. Both girls began to giggle from the thought of having a mate. Kappa exhaled loudly. That was how it always was when mating season came around. Many female yokai would daydream and fantasize about having a handsome mate while male yokai would be on the lookout for their mate-to-be. The water yokai slowly closed his eyes, shielding them from the sight before him.

"Something wrong Kappa?" said a familiar voice. Kappa opened his eyes, revealing a young human boy standing in front of the small pond. His chocolate brown orbs had a look of concern from the kappa's action. "Yes I'm alright master Rikuo, thank you for your concern." Kappa replied. Rikuo's expression of worry quickly turned to a bright smile out of relief.

"Well that's good." The human boy chimed. He took a seat on the soft green grass in front of the pond. "Everyone seems so busy with the preparation for tomorrow; they're all putting so much time and effort into this." Said Rikuo as his brown eyes glanced around at each yokai passing by.

"Of course they would, it is your birthday tomorrow after all."

"Yeah, I guess so." The boy's eyes now focused on the reflection in the crystal clear water in the pond. "Not to mention many of them are worrying about mating season too." Rikuo opened his mouth to continue to speak but he was interrupted by a female voice calling out his name.

"Rikuooooo! Rikuo, can you come here for a moment?!"

"Oh, uh, coming mom!" Rikuo called back. He stood up from where he once sat, giving one last smile to the Kappa before turning on his heel and making his way to his mother. Kappa watched as his master took his leave. It was nice for Kappa to get a chance to talk to Rikuo every once in a while since he was normally too busy with school work or focusing on being the head of the Nura clan. Kappa was now left alone with nothing to do and no-one to talk to. The raven haired yokai let another sigh escape his mouth. _'How boring'_ Kappa thought to himself. With that, the water yokai disappeared under the clear, blue water of the pond.

Kappa swam down to a small crack in the rocks beneath the water. The crack was small but large enough for yokai around his size to fit through. Kappa squeezed through the opening to be greeted by a dark underground waterway. The waterway lead straight to the Kappa's favourite river that he enjoyed drifting in. The river always managed to send Kappa to different location each time. The yokai proceeded down the dark, cold waterway until he saw a small amount of light peeking through yet another small opening. Kappa swam up to the warm rays of daylight. He managed to squeeze himself through the opening. The kappa was now surrounded by the cool, refreshing water of the river. Kappa closed his dark eyes as he listened intently to the relaxing sound of the moving water.

This was one reason why Kappa loved being under water so much, the sound was so soothing to him, like the sound of a mother's voice as she sings softly to her child. Kappa continued to listen to the calming sound of the water until he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Kappa lazily pried his eyes open, blinking a few times to bring his cloudy vision back into focus. He opened his move wide to let in a large yawn as he stretched his scaly arms up into the air. The yokai's dark brown eyes swept the surface of the area as he studied his surroundings. He was sitting on the shore of the river that he was drifting in. Kappa turned his head around to study the scenery behind him. The boy's large eyes widened with a spark of amazement. There was a huge, rich green field with neatly cut grass. In the middle of the field stood a large beautiful, red bricked house with white decorative trim on the tall windows. On the second floor there was a highly detailed balcony overlooking the rich grass field.

The bottom of the house was surrounded by a large variety of colourful flowers that added a strong yet nice accent to the lot. The house was fairly large and looked to be big enough to hold a family of at least six members. On either side of the home were large groups of evergreen trees instead of other houses. Kappa marveled at the divine beauty of the house. Kappa was immediately snapped out of his daze to the sudden sound of something rustling through the tall grass in a small portion of the field. The boy whirled his head in the direction that the sound was coming from. After a few short moments of glaring at the tall grass, a human girl emerged from the small prairie. The girl seemed to be the same age as Kappa (or at least the age he appeared to be). She had short navy blue hair that stretched down to her collar bone complimented with bright golden eyes. She wore a black, loose T-shirt beneath a gray and blue striped long sleeve shirt with black skinny jeans and dark brown combat boots.

Kappa admired the girl's beauty. Her pale skin made it look like she had not gotten a spot of sunlight all her life. The expression of curiosity and wonder intrigued the demon greatly. He found her to be quite cute for a human. When the girl's golden eyes locked onto the Kappa's chocolate orbs, it felt as if his heart skipped a beat. Soon the yokai found himself lost in her hypnotising golden pools. They had a strange intensity to them but at the same time her eyes were soft and welcoming. Suddenly Kappa felt a strange pull on his heart, something he had never experienced before. What was this feeling? The "emotion" was impossible to explain as he felt longing. As if he had just found something that he had been forever looking for. Whatever this indescribable feeling was, it made the Kappa feel drawn to this strange human girl.

**(Author's note: Well that's the first chapter. Please tell me what you thought and how I am doing so far **** ) **


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

The navy haired girl continued to stare at the young looking yokai as he stared back. A heavy, long silence wrapped around the two beings like a thick blanket. Finally after what seemed like hours, the girl spoke, breaking the heavy silence. "Who...are you?"

The Kappa pondered on whether or not to tell this girl who he was. There was a small voice in his head telling him that yokai should not come into contact with a human. But then again, Kappa did not feel this girl to be any sort of threat and the strange emotion that was lingering inside him seemed to be urging him to speak to the human.

"I'm a Kappa." the yokai finally responded.

"_A_ Kappa? What do you mean you're _a_ Kappa? A Kappa is a type of yokai isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well okay...what about your name?"

Kappa reverted his eyes to the ground. He hadn't used his own name in so long that he couldn't even remember it anymore. The Kappa desperately searched his memories trying to recall what his name was. Without even noticing, the yokai's pale face had twisted into a look of great discomfort. The human girl took notice of the boy's sudden change in expression and quickly took action.

"Oh, um, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. My name is Haru by the way." Haru gave the yokai boy a sweet smile. Kappa glanced back up to the human and was warmly welcomed with her beautiful smile. The Kappa's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. When this girl, Haru, smiled, she looked ten times more divine then when Kappa had first laid eyes on her. Haru's smile sent shivers down Kappa's spine as a smile of his own tugged on the ends of his thin lips. "Well I better go. It was nice meeting _a Kappa, _bye." And with that, the golden eyed girl turned around and began making her way in the direction of the large house. Kappa's thin pupils locked onto Haru as she took her leave.

The girl entered the back door of the house which now made it clear to Kappa that Haru lived in that lovely house. Once she was out of sight, the Kappa's smile disappeared just as she had, almost as if she were the only source of happiness in his life. Why was Kappa feeling those strange emotions? Why did he feel as though he could trust that girl so much? These questions had no answers right now. It was defiantly a strange subject, one of which Kappa knew nothing about. Now Kappa would have to find someone who would know about this, but who? The water yokai stood up from where he sat. He had been sitting in the same spot for so long that he had flattened the grass in that small area.

Kappa wasted no time, immediately hopping into the river and swimming back to the main house. The river had brought him somewhere quite far from the pond, if it weren't for the fact that he was swimming with the current then it would have taken him much longer to reach his destination. Once Kappa had arrived at the main house's pond, a large ruckus, most likely caused from the preparation, could still be heard. The Kappa stepped out of the pond and briefly glanced around. It appeared as though his ears did not deceive him. Every yokai in the main house was still hard at work. Kappa merely shrugged his shoulders, making his way into the house.

The raven haired boy made his way down the wide hall with his eyes on the floor. Kappa mentally ran down the list of his closest friends.

There was master Rikuo, Yuki-onna, Kubinashi, Kejoro, Aotabo and Kurotabo. Kappa mentally ran down the list once more. A large sigh escaped his mouth out of defeat. Who would he ask? Who would really know a lot about this? Kejoro would probably start teasing him if he mentioned anything about a girl. Aotabo would probably make many useless references to physical strength. Kurotabo might say that Kappa needs to loosen up and have a drink or two. Yuki-onna might know something but she would probably start to fantasize about Rikuo after a little while. Master Rikuo wouldn't know a thing about this since he still believes that his history teacher might be yokai in disguise only because she hates children. Kubinashi might know something and would probably stay mature about it. Of course there was always the supreme commander but he would probably ask how big her chest was and how long her legs were.

Kappa thought about the matter for a few more moments before making his decision. Right now Kubinashi seemed to be the best bet right now. The Kappa lightly nodded to himself beginning his search for Kubinashi. After scanning almost every hallway and searching every room, Kappa finally found Kubinashi sweeping up the hardwood floor in one of the halls. His amber eyes glanced up at the Kappa yokai approaching him. "Hey Kappa, what's up?" the blonde haired yokai spoke with a smile plastered onto his face.

Once Kappa approached his friend, his head hung low. Suddenly he felt all his confidence drain away like water in a sink. Kappa's brown eyes took a glance back up to Kubinashi. "Can I ask you something?" the water yokai asked, trying harder than ever to hide any hint of nervousness or embarrassment. The blonde nodded his floating head as a gesture for the fish-like yokai to proceed. Kappa began to explain all about meeting the human girl, Haru and the strange emotion he felt when meeting her. Once he was done, the Kappa waited for Kubinashi to respond. Kubinashi stopped to think for a short moment in order to recall everything that was said. Finally the neck less yokai gave the Kappa a sly, knowing smile.

That smile suddenly made Kappa feel slightly concerned. "Do you know what that means Kappa?" Kubinashi asked. Kappa gave a light nod, no. "It means that you've finally met your future mate!" the blonde exclaimed rather loudly. Kappa's chocolate brown eyes widened so much that if they were to get any bigger, they would pop out. That girl...was his mate?


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own Nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

Kappa stood in complete silence. He had never thought that he would ever find his mate. Many yokai that had found their mate in the Nura clan would have their mates swear loyalty to the Nura clan in order for them to be with each other. It was quite uncommon for a yokai to have a human soul mate and having a human for a mate made things much more difficult, especially now a days. There was close to no humans who believed in the existence of demons nor did they want to.

There was no way Kappa would be able to confront his mate because of the fact that she was human which meant she wouldn't understand the way a yokai felt towards their mate. Kappa had seen many humans that treated love like a silly game at their own disposal or always seemed to choose the wrong lover. From what he had observed in his lifetime, humans did not seem to know anything about love and soul mates. It was much different to yokai though. Once they find their mate, they can't help but want to be around them all the time. Yokai feel a strong passion towards their mate and want to protect them forever. Being apart from their mate for too long never has pleasant results. Since demons are fiercely loyal to their mate, they would never abandon them, seeing them as their other half.

An expression of pure surprise and disappointment dwelled on his face. Kubinashi stared down at his friend with a small frown of concern. He knew exactly why the water yokai had this look plastered on his face. It would not be easy for him to have a human for a mate and it was already too late for him to deny or forget about her as well. The blonde yokai searched his mind for a few reassuring words he could give. Kubinashi perked up slightly, noticing he too beard a frown which would not help the matter.

"Hey c'mon Kappa, cheer up. It's not that bad." The neck less demon mentally slapped himself immediately after the words had escaped his mouth. Those were not the best choice in words. Kappa let a small frown slip onto his face as he glanced down at the floor. Kubinashi gave a nervous smile as the air around them fell into an awkward silence. He began to search his mind once more in order to piece together a more motivational sentence. After a few moments of thought, Kubinashi had come up with a better choice of words.

"Don't look so down Kappa. Think of the Supreme commander. He had a human mate and just look at him now. Not only him, but our previous master, master Rihan. He too, had a human mate. Do you see Kappa? You can still be happy even with a human for a mate." Kubinashi ended his small motivational speech with a reassuring smile. He was sure that his words had cheered up the gloomy Kappa but unfortunately he was mistaken. Without removing his eyes from the floor, the water yokai gave a light nod before passing by his friend and continuing down the long hallway. Kubinashi's amber eyes followed Kappa with a look of concern as he soon became out of sight, leaving him alone in the long corridor.

The Kappa mindlessly wandered around the main house with no particular destination in mind. His head hung low as his eyes stayed glued to the floor. Kappa took no notice of anything around him or anyone passing him by, he also did not seem to notice the many concerned and confused eyes that stared at his life less looking figure. It was not every day that the yokai of the Nura clan would see their Kappa looking so glum. In fact not many of the Nura's residence ever saw Kappa look sad or depressed.

A rather small yokai with a natto for a head, watched as the gloomy Kappa passed him by. "Boy, Kappa sure looks sad." The natto headed yokai stated aloud once Kappa had gotten a few meters away from where he stood. Natto Kozo sprinted up to the water yokai, who was now fairly far away. By the time the small yokai reached him, he needed a few seconds to catch his breath.

"Hey Kappa, what's wrong?" Natto Kozo asked, following directly behind the boy. Kappa's ears didn't seem to have been working as Natto's question flew right over his head.

"Kappa?" Natto Kozo repeated but the raven haired demon did not seem to notice him whatsoever. The small Natto yokai stopped following behind Kappa, noticing that he would not get any words to escape his mouth. Natto Kozo gave a large sigh of defeat. "Maybe master Rikuo would know." With that, the small demon whirled around and headed for his master's room. Kappa was snapped out of his daze by the warm, soothing rays of orange and red sunlight that sprung from the setting sun. Somehow Kappa had made his way to the garden where his beautiful pond lay, wonderfully reflecting the flawless colour of the sunset. The brown eyed yokai stared tiredly at the inviting water before starting towards it for some well needed rest.

The Kappa's mind was a swirling whirlwind of restless thoughts that needed to be put to rest. Once Kappa reached the small spring, he slowly plunked himself inside. The water was at the perfect temperature, making it feel much more relaxing, after all Kappas preferred to be in water than on dry land. The entire day had been very exhausting, with all that had happened, resulting in a fatigued yokai. Almost immediately after going below the water's surface, Kappa felt much more relaxed, especially by the sound of the rippling water caused by the falling cherry blossom peddles. The sound was indeed faint but could still be heard by the ears of a Kappa.

Natto Kozo finally reached the entrance to the master's room. The small yokai panted desperately to fill his tired out lungs with air. Natto did not waste any time after he had caught his breath and quickly slammed his curled up fist onto the wood trim of the paper door.

"Master! Master Rikuo!" he called as loudly as his voice would allow. A moment later, the door slid open, revealing the young brunette.

"Yes, what is it Natto Kozo? Is something wrong?"

"Well actually I was wondering if you might happen to know what's wrong with Kappa, Master."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rikuo asked curiously as he knelt on one knee in order to hear the natto headed yokai's explanation. Natto Kozo began to inform his master about how he had run into Kappa in the corridor, also explaining how he seemed to be greatly troubled by some unknown reason. The intently listening Rikuo gave the natto a nod of understanding before tapping his chin with his index finger out of thought. "_What could possibly be troubling Kappa of all people?" _Rikuo thought to himself. After Natto Kozo patiently waited, his master finally answered.

"Well I really don't know anything about this but...I don't think asking him is the best thing to do right now Natto. We should leave him for now and if things continue then we can ask."

"Well, okay whatever you say Master." Natto Kozo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He felt slightly ashamed for having asking Kappa about his problem but then again, how was he supposed to know that it would make matters worse? "Natto?" Rikuo spoke calmly.

"Huh, what is it Master?"

"Can you keep an eye on Kappa for me? I'm just a bit worried about him."

"Yeah, sure thing."

"Thanks." Rikuo gave a kind smile before standing back up and retiring to his room. The natto shuffled down the hallway, now darkened by the early night sky, seeping through the windows.

That night Kappa could not manage to fall asleep. His head was still full of unsettled thoughts that screamed at him, desperate to be resolved. The constant thoughts were beginning to annoy the hell out of him as they continued to pop up in his mind no matter how many times he tried to force them out. His insides began to feel as if they were rotting from the inside from all of the pressure of the mixed emotions he was experiencing. Kappa felt depressed, angry, confused, lost, alone, and exasperated all at once. He even felt the dreaded feeling of lust lingering deep inside his subconscious. Every time he attempted to close his eyes for a well needed rest, the flash of emotions and thoughts rushed through him faster than a river. The day had been beyond tiring for him and yet he couldn't get a wink of sleep. To make matters worse, Kappa now had a headache as a result of all this stress.

To think a brief encounter with some human girl had caused all of this. Kappa wished he had never met her, wished that he could just completely forget about Haru. But how could he? How on earth could he possibly forget her luscious navy blue hair that looked to be softer than silk as it shone in the light of the sun. How could he forget about her captivating golden eyes that seemed to hypnotize you the moment you lay eyes on them. Or her flawless pale skin that looked so soft and well cared for. Kappa soon began to wonder, what would her skin feel like? How warm and soft would feel beneath his touch? What would her silky looking hair feel like between his scaly fingers? And her lips?

Kappa could see it now. His arms wrapped firmly around her thin waist, with their lips perfectly molded together in a long, passionate kiss. The Kappa quickly snapped out of his daydream, disposing of the thought as fast as he could. What was he doing? He had only just met Haru and yet he was already fantasizing about her. The yokai slowly closed his eyes in thought. "_Maybe I should return, just to see her one more time?"_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

A loud ruckus of many different yokai speaking all at once mixed with various other noises could be heard throughout the main house. The loud noise had seeped through the calm surface of the water, surrounding the sleeping Kappa's ears. After a little while the surrounding noise had finally brought the Kappa back to the waking world. His fairly large eyes pried themselves open only to feel heavy afterwards from lack of sleep.

Somehow Kappa had managed to fall asleep last night despite his whirlwind of conflicting emotions. It took a few moments to finally come back to reality before Kappa noticed himself lying on the pond's bed. That was where he always slept. To most it was quite an uncomfortable spot but Kappa preferred sleeping there, surrounded by the soothing sound of water than in a not-so-fluffy bed draped in a blanket that would only make you sweat. He desperately needed a stretch but stretching underwater never seemed to satisfy. Kappa pushed himself off of the pond's bed to give him a boost as he swam to the surface.

Once Kappa reached the surface of the pond, the first thing he saw was many yokai walking around the garden and through the hall. They all seemed to be headed somewhere, but where? That's when it finally hit him; the master's birthday celebration was today. The boy took his time as he exited the pond and began making his way rather slowly towards the main meeting room where the celebration would be held. It was unknown to the Kappa, how long he had been awake last night but judging by the laziness of his body and heaviness of his eyelids, he was guessing...quite a long time.

After what seemed like hours, Kappa had finally reached the main meeting room. The room was filled to its maximum with yokai as more continued to pour in. Many were scattered all over the room. The smaller ones rested on the rafters while the much larger ones peeked in through the open sliding doors. Rikuo, Yuki-onna, Kubinashi, Aotabo, Kurotabo, lady Wakana and the supreme commander all sat in the front area of the room, Rikuo being the center of attention. Each and every yokai was drinking as much sake as they could handle while the more sober ones congratulated Rikuo or handed him gifts. This was how Rikuo's birthdays were always celebrated. First would be the time to drink, chat, have fun, drink, drink and then drink some more. Afterwards, a large feast would be served for everyone to enjoy. Finally there would be even more time to drink, drink and drink even more than the last time.

The celebration normally lasted the entire day and they were very fun. That is if you are much of a party animal like Kejoro, Aotabo or Kurotabo. But Kappa on the other hand was not very fond of those sorts of things and much preferred to relax in his pond and eat cucumbers. Kappa let out a long and hard sigh before proceeding into the barbaric room. He was sure to cautiously maneuver around the drunk and/or passed out yokai in order to reach Rikuo. His only goal was to wish his master a happy birthday then be on his way (and by on his way he meant back to his pond). Kappa had come so close to reaching his master before he felt a hand wrap around his shoulder and roughly pull him back. The Kappa collided with the side of a familiar looking yokai. He caught a glance of his "attacker", immediately recognizing them by the blonde and black hair.

He had been pulled back by none other than Kubinashi. "Hey Kappa! Why you in such a hurry!? Stay a little while and have a drink or two!" the blonde exclaimed rather loudly. Kappa could smell the scent of alcohol in his mouth, which would explain his slightly reddened cheeks. "Actually I was just on my way to—"Kappa was cut off from being forcefully shoved to the floor next to Aotabo and Kurotabo by Kubinashi. Said yokai slumped down across from him shortly after. There was no doubt that Kubinashi was drunk, which slightly worried the Kappa. The last thing he needed was for Kubinashi to carelessly blurt out to the whole clan about Kappa's mate.

Kurotabo wrapped his one arm around Kappa while the other held an entire sake bottle. He had the stupidest grin plastered onto his reddened face. It was for certain that Kappa was surrounded by three drunken yokai who did not seem to want to let him escape.

"So Kappa, ya wanna drink with us?" Kurotabo asked while taking another drink gulp from his large sake bottle. The Kappa firmly shook his head; he desperately wanted to get out of the overcrowded, noisy room. "Ah, c'mon!" Aotabo cheered even louder than the rest. Kappa irritably shook his head once more. "Aw he's never been much of a drinker anyways!" yelled Kurotabo before they all began to laugh in a cocky way. Finally an opening showed itself to Kappa, who wasted no time excepting it. He escaped from the monk yokai's strong grasp and sped towards the now 14 year old master.

"Oh Kappa, it's good to see you!" Rikuo chimed with a cheerful smile. He was in the middle of stuffing his face with various sweets that he had received as a gift from his mother. Kappa knelt down, giving his master a small bow. "I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday third heir."

"Oh thank you. So, did you get me a gift?" Kappa's head whipped up, a look of confusion and horror twisted onto his face. He had completely forgotten to obtain a gift for master Rikuo. Kappa suddenly fell into a panic as he attempted to think of a suitable excuse for not having a present. Rikuo only gave out an amused laugh which only confused Kappa even more.

"I was only joking Kappa, you don't have to get me anything." Rikuo reassured him.

"O-oh..." was all the Kappa could reply as he regained his former calm expression.

"Well thanks for wishing me a happy birthday anyways."

"Yes it's the least I can do since I have nothing else to offer you on your birthday, master." Rikuo gave the Kappa a warm smile as he watched him rise to his feet. Kappa gave a small smile before turning away as another yokai moved towards Rikuo to present their gift to him.

Kappa had managed to squeeze himself out of the overly crowded room. Once he had escaped, he stood for a moment in the middle of the hall. The Kappa filled his lungs as much as he could with oxygen and exhaling it loudly. "_I wonder if it would be okay to go see that Haru girl once more." _Kappa thought about the idea for a few seconds before letting out an exasperated sigh. Part of him didn't want to go see her. It just wanted to forget all about her but the other part was clouded by lust and longing to see her beautiful face just _one _more time. Much to Kappa's dismay, the other part of him won the war as he now found himself heading towards his pond.

The Kappa took the same route he had taken the day before to reach Haru's house. Through the opening and down the river was where he went until he had finally found the house once more. Kappa stepped out of the river, rather boldly, taking a few glances as he studied his surroundings. The girl was nowhere in sight but Kappa had known she was there, he could smell her all the way from where he stood. Her scent was unlike any scent that had ever entered his nose. She had the scent of fresh peppermint mixed with a hint of cinnamon; he couldn't help but take a moment to familiarize himself with her addicting aroma.

Kappa followed the trail of her scent which ended up leading him beneath the white balcony. The yokai's large brown eyes glanced up at the balcony. In a quick instant, he was on the decorative railing resting on the balcony. On the corner of the veranda there laid a small potted aloe plant sitting on a small garden table. Next to it was a single potted white orchid. Both plants seemed to bask in the heat of the sun with their healthy looking leafs, obviously well cared for. In front of the water yokai stood two glass doors, decorated in what seemed to be some sort of transparent abstract design.

Through the doors, Kappa could see part of a bedroom. The bedroom had plain teal walls, a long mirror next to the white door that led most likely into a hallway. The room contained a black dresser, a black desk that was cluttered with sketching tools and papers and a twin bed. The bed was draped in a dark purple quilt with a very bizarre looking stuffed bear lying on the neatly made bed. The bear had two uneven button eyes that had been poorly sewn on with only one ear. The bear had only one arm and had three red stripes sewn onto its tummy. Next to the bed was a small black coloured, square side table with a mere orange lamp sitting on it.

All in all, the room appeared to be an average bedroom, which also happened to be empty. Kappa took a minute to debate on whether or not to try the door and go inside. Soon Kappa wrapped his scaly, webbed fingers around the door knob and turned it slowly. Oddly enough, it was open. As the door creaked open, he could smell the scent of peppermint and cinnamon wrap around him ever so welcomingly. The brown eyed yokai took a few cautious steps into the room. Upon entry, he found himself overwhelmed by Haru's sweet scent. It was all over the room and its contents. There was no doubt that this was her room. Kappa took a seat on the edge of her bed as he continued to take in her scent. He soon fell to his side on the bed, cuddling up to one of the pillows on the bed.

Her bed was where the scent was the strongest. Kappa slowly let his heavy, tired eyes close as he drifted into a deep sleep.

**(Author's note: HeeHee cliff-hanger :3 don't you just love those? Well no worries, I'll update tomorrow okay? Please leave a review to tell me how I did)**


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

Haru's navy hair swayed with every step she took towards the front porch of her house. The multiple grocery bags she carried in each hand were quite heavy as a result of the major sale they had at the grocery store nearest to her house. The nearest anything to her house was about a one and a half hour walk away since her house was on the outskirts of Ukiyoe town. Haru finally reached her front door after the long and tiring walk back to her home. In order to get around, unfortunately Haru had to walk everywhere. She lived with her aunt, Grace, since her parents died ten years ago in a fire. Her aunt was very kind and treated Haru very well. The only problem was that her aunt was always going on long business trips which prevented Haru from seeing her very often.

It was very lonely for Haru to normally be living alone but she never blamed her aunt since she understood the expectations of her aunt's job. Since Grace was never around to drive her niece and Haru was a year under age to get a licence that was why she had to walk everywhere. Of course Haru did have a bike at one point until it was run over by a car, caused by Haru's forgetful habit of leaving her bike on the side of the road in front of her house. She was much too afraid to tell her aunt about that misfortune and decided to keep it a secret. The bike is still hidden in the garage...somewhere.

The navy haired girl set down the three bags that her left hand was grasping and got out her house key. She slipped the key into the slot and turned to unlock the door. Haru stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind her with her foot. Haru sped towards the kitchen and placed the six heavy grocery bags on the marble countertop. As soon as she released all the bags, Haru began stretching her very relived arms.

"Okay now I just have to unpack them and I'm free till' dinner." The human girl told herself. She began unpacking the plastic bags and placing the newly bought groceries in their proper spot. Finally after about fifteen minutes, Haru had completed her task of putting everything away. The golden eyed girl made her way upstairs, scooping up her black messenger bag as she passed by the chair it was resting on. Once Haru reached the hallway, she could feel an odd yet refreshing draft coming from her bedroom.

The draft could have been coming from an open window but Haru could have sworn she closed them all. Haru crept quietly down the hall and took a peek in her room. The first thing she noticed was the balcony door wide open, welcoming the afternoon breeze into the house. Haru raised a fine brow out of confusion. "That's odd; I could have sworn I closed that door. Maybe the wind blew it open?" She walked forwards into her room, her golden eyes glued to the mysteriously open door. The navy haired girl slowly closed the glass door, preventing any more of the breeze to enter. With the breeze gone, the room was silent except for the sound of breathing. It didn't take Haru long to notice that the deep breaths were not coming from her. She held her own breath for a moment and listened hard just to confirm. The deep breathing continued. Haru shakily turned her head towards the source of the sound. There lying on her bed was a boy, peacefully sleeping. He had raven hair that was mostly covered by a strange white head piece. He wore an ancient looking green outfit with an orange scarf that covered his mouth and chin. The strangest thing about that boy was his hands. They were webbed and looked to have yellow scales that went all the way up his arms.

The boy seemed so oddly familiar to Haru but she couldn't seem to remember. She really didn't care much for that anyways, at that moment she was more worried about why he was sleeping in her bed and what he might have done to her house. Haru's slender fingers released the door knob that she had been holding the entire time and reached into her messenger bag. She pulled out the first thing her hand touched, a wooden spoon that she kept in there encase of an encounter with a pervert. She held the spoon tightly in a battle-ready position as she crept closer to the sleeping boy. Once she approached the edge of the bed, she pointed the wooden spoon down in the direction of the boy. "Hey wake up!" Haru yelled. The strange boy slowly fluttered his eyes open in a lazy manner. Once he was fully awake, his eyes snapped over to Haru and her wooden spoon of death. His brown eyes studied her carefully. He was too shocked to do anything at that moment; instead he sat on the bed staring up at Haru.

"I have a spoon, so you better answer all of my questions got it?! First of all, who are you?" The boy blinked in confusion.

"I'm...Kappa." he finally responded. The name seemed to jog Haru's memory as she finally recalled meeting that boy down by the river behind her house. But what was he doing in her home? Haru didn't lower her wooden utensil since she still had questions.

"You're the boy I met yesterday?" Kappa nodded.

"Well then why the hell are you in my friging house?!" The Kappa jumped at the sudden escalation of her voice. He had never imagined such a sweet and beautiful girl such as Haru to be that scary. Kappa frantically searched for an explanation to give the clearly angry girl.

"The balcony door was left open." He forced out.

"So that gives you the privilege to come in and sleep on my bed?" Kappa was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to explain everything to her? Kappa looked down in an attempt to avoid Haru's menacing glare.

"Why did you come in here? Did you steal anything?" The boy shook his head before speaking.

"I am not a thief. I came in here because...I wanted to see you." Kappa waited for Haru to force more questions on him but was slightly surprised when she remained silent. Instead Haru studied him intensely with her golden eyes. Kappa felt immensely small and powerless beneath his mate's gaze. A heavy silence wrapped around the two before Haru's voice broke through.

"I have one more question." She stated in monotone. "Why are your hands like that?" Kappa blinked, looking up at Haru who had finally lowered her "weapon". He thought for a moment, wondering whether or not to reveal the truth about being a yokai. The water demon let out a loud sigh. He might as well tell the truth since he knew he could never lie to Haru.

"That is because...I am a yokai." The Kappa's head hung lower than before. He didn't expect Haru to believe him at all since she was a human. He expected her to hit him or think he was a crazy thief. Kappa waited in the long silence for Haru's reaction. The human reached out her small pale hand towards the Kappa before her. He flinched slightly as his muscles tensed. The yokai felt a spark of shock when Haru's hand, instead of reaching forth for a strike, touched his scaly hand that rested on his thigh. The human girl's golden eyes were now hidden behind her mop-like bangs. "Y-you're really a yokai?" she asked hesitantly. There was another moment of silence before Haru spoke once again.

"That's so...COOL!" Haru's head snapped up with a wondrous glint in her golden eyes. Kappa jumped from her sudden reaction, his neck cracked as a result.

"I can't believe you're a real yokai! This is amazing! Oh, uh, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should probably explain." Haru released her grip on Kappa's hand, which had grown tighter from her outburst. She cleared her throat as the girl began to calm herself down. The yokai's brown eyes were still wide with great shock written all over his face.

"Well you see, my aunt is an exorcist. She exterminates yokai for a living, that's why she travels so much. She knows everything there is to know about yokai and she always tells me about her adventures after each job. I've always been so interested in them but...I don't really know much about them. I mean, I couldn't even tell that you were a yokai at first." Haru paused for a brief moment before continuing. "My aunt...hates yokai though. Ever since my parents died, she's hated them. My aunt always tells me that it was the fault of a yokai that started the fire that killed my parents...but I think otherwise." Haru glanced to the side before reverting her attention back to the Kappa. He was listening very intently at that moment, interested in the girl's explanation.

"Well anyways, you see I've always wanted to meet a yokai in person and now...here you are!" the navy haired girl gave a bright smile towards the Kappa, who intern, gave a small smile. The awkwardness had completely vanished as the two exchanged smiles to one another. Haru's explanation had cleared things up for Kappa, now he understood why she was so happy to hear that he was a yokai. Kappa felt that as they reflected each other's smile, he could feel a strong bond forming between them both. But despite that he had no intention of explaining the fact that they were mates-to-be and that they would have to kiss. He felt as though that would ruin their newly obtained friendship and that he would have to suffer from heartbreak. Kappa would rather suffer longing than to suffer from that of a broken heart. "Well since you came here just to see me, I guess I should make some tea and get to know you better. You know...something about you just tells me that...you're a good hearted person." With that she turned and began making her way to the door. A small shade of pink brushed against the Kappa's cheeks. Her kind words made Kappa feel as if he had been touched by a goddess. He scotched off the bed and followed behind Haru.

Haru led the yokai into the living room and motioned for him to take a seat. "I'll be right back with the tea." The human girl exited the room with a small smile glued to her thin lips. Kappa took that opportunity to study her house. The living room was fancily decorated with tasteful antique looking items. The walls were painted a light brown colour and were decorated with many beautiful paintings. There were two white couches parallel to each other with a matching armchair on the left side and a tall potted tree on the other. In the middle of the two couches was a decorative coffee table, the same colour wood as the wood trim on the couches. Kappa sat, admiring the beauty of the room. Not only was it beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside. A few minutes later, Haru stepped inside with two tea cups in hand. She placed one cup in front of Kappa and the other in front of the couch she soon took a seat on. The golden eyed girl lifted the tea cup up to her lips and took a long sip before setting it down. Kappa glanced down at the steaming hot tea before him. He was not at all a fan of hot beverages but he didn't want to offend Haru in any way. Kappa grasped onto the cup handle and brought it to his mouth taking a small sip. The warm liquid rushed down his throat, sending warm chills throughout his body. Oh how he hated that feeling. He took a moment to assess what tea he was consuming; green tea. Kappa then set the cup back down. The Kappa's face had subconsciously twisted into a bit of a grimace from the much hated feeling the tea gave him. Haru took notice of it and quickly spoke.

"If you don't like tea, I can get you something else if you like."

"Oh, no tea is fine."

"Are you sure? What about an iced tea?" Kappa took a moment to consider before responding. "Yes please, if you don't mind." Haru nodded with a smile before taking his tea cup from his scaly hand. In a very brief moment their hands brushed one another. Kappa lowered his head in order to mask the light blush on his cheeks. Haru hadn't noticed it at all as she walked away back to the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a glass filled with tea and ice. Haru placed it on the coffee table and reclaimed her seat on the couch. Kappa glanced at the drink before bringing it up to his lips and cautiously taking a sip. It was very bitter and cold; just the way he liked it. The drink was surprisingly well made and delicious. Without removing the cup from his lips, the Kappa took another sip, then another, and then another until the cup unfortunately was emptied. Kappa placed the empty glass down on the table. His attention was brought to Haru when she let out a small giggle. "Well it's good to see that you enjoyed my home made iced tea. Not many people like it very much because it's so bitter but personally I like it that way." Kappa gave her a small smile in return. The two began to chat until they fell into a deep conversation with each other.

They both learned many things about one another. Kappa learned that Haru liked to sketch fantasy creatures and write novels or short stories. She also liked to cook and was quite good at it. She told him that she had very little friends at her school but preferred it that way anyways. He also learned that she disliked romance, anything science fiction and swimming, which did not sit well with Kappa since he was a water yokai and the fact that she hated romance meant that he had absolutely no chance with her. Kappa told Haru much about the Nura clan and its members. Both learned a great deal about each other through their long conversation. They look breaks every once in a while to have a snack. By the end of the conversation they had managed to go through three oranges, two apples and a watermelon. When they ended their conversation it was already sundown which meant that they had somehow talked for several hours.

"Wow, I can't believe we talked for so long Kappa."

"Yes, I haven't talked to someone for that long in a while."

Haru nodded in agreement. "I should probably be getting back to the main house now."

"O-oh...your gonna leave already? Can't you stay a little longer?" Kappa felt quite flattered that she wanted him to stay with her but everyone back at the main house might have been getting worried by now. The yokai took a moment before deciding to stay with his human friend. "Well, alright." Haru's lips pulled up into a pleased smile.

"Great! Since we snacked so much, I guess dinner is out of the question. What would you like to do Kappa?"

"It doesn't matter to me."

"Alright, if it's okay with you, I'd like to show you some of my sketches." Kappa nodded at the idea. He really did want to see her drawings; he expected them to be very beautiful. Haru grabbed hold of the Kappa's scaly hand and dragged him up to her room to begin showing him her work. Once they entered her bedroom, she released his hand and grabbed a sketch book that lay on top of all the clutter on the desk. Haru passed the book to Kappa, her face bearing a slightly nervous look. As soon as he opened the sketching book, the navy haired girl turned around to her desk and pretended to do something else. Haru always got very nervous when someone looked at her drawings and she could never contain the embarrassment that came from compliments. Kappa began flipping through the book scanning the various sketches that presented themselves to him. There were very many, each had a different theme and were extremely well done. Haru was defiantly talented at drawing, especially landscapes. Each picture had a great deal of detail and looked to have taken hours to complete. Kappa marveled at the beauty and uniqueness of each one.

"They're very good." Kappa spoke as he handed the book back to Haru.

"T-thank you." She stuttered as she accepted the sketch pad. After placing the book back on her messy desk, Haru went over and lay down on her bed. It was only 7:30 and yet Haru felt unbelievably tired. She slowly closed her eyes, hiding her golden orbs from the waking world. Kappa crept over and sat on the edge of the bed, glancing down at the tired Haru. "You know Kappa; you're just as kind as I hoped a yokai to be." Haru spoke barely above a whisper, eyes still shut. Kappa let a small smile creep onto his face before speaking "Sleep well...my Haru." He whispered the last part in order to ensure that it would not reach Haru's ears. The girl let a light groan escape her lips as she fell into the sleeping world. Once Kappa was sure she was asleep, he gently caressed her cheek before pressing his lips onto Haru's forehead. Kappa slowly lay down next to the human girl he had now befriended and soon followed her into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I don't own nurrihyon no mago or any of its characters_

Haru's golden eyes fluttered open, being kindly welcomed by the rays of light peeking through her blinds. As realization hit her, Haru sprung up in her bed. Her eyes scanned the room expectantly. She had hoped that Kappa was still there; ready to greet her with a good morning. The room was lifeless and empty, her yokai nowhere in sight. The blue haired girl let out a disappointed huff of air. Kappa had left and after she was beginning to get to know him really well. Ever since she was a child, she never believed that all yokai were evil despite all of the lectures her beliefs earned her from her aunt. What a nightmare it would turn out to be if Grace were to find out that her niece had befriended a yokai; the one creature she loathed and dedicated her life to exterminating. Haru glanced at her bedside table in search of the time. She mentally slapped herself for her forgetful habits. She didn't have an alarm clock; not ever since her fist came into contact with the beeping machine one frightful morning. Haru stepped out of bed, noticing shortly after that she had fallen asleep in her clothes from yesterday. The girl made her way to her dresser and changed into clean clothes. She slipped on casual black sweatpants and a boxy, black shirt that read "We're all mad here." In turquoise letters, one of her favourite lines from the book Alice's adventures in wonderland. She had little interest in the silly cartoon movie but always did admire the live action remake.

After getting dressed, Haru made her way towards the mirror next to her door. The mirror showed the reflection of an average-build girl who was quite short for her age. Her navy hair was a jungle of frizzy tangles and knots. Oh well. Haru had no care whatsoever about what she looked like: one thing that made it so hard for her to fit in at her school. She was well hated by many suck-up teachers since she refused to wear the proper dress code. Girls were supposed to wear short, blue skirts with the normal female uniform top. Haru wore the boy's black bottoms with the girl's uniform top. Students and teachers were not the only people bothered by this picky trait. Grace hated the fact that Haru never wore any pretty feminine clothes with bright colours like pink, purple or yellow. Grace would always buy her niece "nice" skirts, dresses, fitted tops and other crap, insisting that Haru wear them. Despite every time Haru refused, she never gave up and still secretly stocks Haru's empty bottom draw with feminine outfits.

Haru gave herself a grin which reflected perfectly in the clear, spotless mirror. She was now ready to take on the Sunday morning. Or afternoon, it could be either one. The golden eyed girl raced out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen. 11:36 the stove clock read in bright, blue numbers. All the downstairs lights were left on from yesterdays visit. Haru made her way to the fridge and effortlessly tugged the stainless-steel door open. She scanned the contents before her wondering eyes landed on her target: the milk. Haru reached in and pulled out the carton, placing it on the nearest counter top. Next she opened a cupboard above her head and pulled out a white bowl, placing it next to the milk. Haru opened yet another nearby cupboard and pulled out her favourite cereal: frosted flakes. She proceeded in making her breakfast. Once her meal was complete, she pulled out a spoon from the drawer below her and dunked it into the cereal.

Haru picked up her bowl and took a seat at the lonely dining table. Her mornings always consisted of waking up, preparing her food and eating alone at the table made for eight people. Her favourite spot was the chair right at the right head of the table, it made her feel like the boss of the house, which she normally was. On the rare occasion that her aunt would join her for a meal, she would sit on the opposite end of the table, farthest away from Haru. Haru shoved a mouthful of cereal into her mouth as she ran down her personal to-do list.

Eat breakfast

Clean the house if needed

Do laundry

Wash dishes

Get and sort mail

Pray at her parent's shrine (which lay peacefully in her house's small basement)

After her daily chores, Haru was normally left with a time gap of three hours before dinner, which was normally occupied by drawing and/or writing. Overall weekends for Haru sucked ass. It wasn't like she had any friends to hang out with or parents to spend time with. She didn't have any pets either since Grace was allergic. Haru suggested a hairless cat or naked mole rat but Grace always said that those were hideous pets to have. Her aunt would only agree to have plants as pets. Unfortunately, Haru had spent so much time seeing plants as pets or friends that she had given each one a name. Yes, Haru led an utterly lonely life. By the time Haru had finished musing, she had sub-consciously gobbled up all of her breakfast. Haru stood up and brought her emptied bowl to the sink. Loud sounds of dishes clanking with one another could be heard throughout the house.

Haru let out a loud sigh. Oh, how she wished her yokai would come to visit her but Haru knew that he would likely never be coming back. Haru let out a brief sigh before turning around and leaning herself on the edge of the counter. Her yellow eyes scanned the kitchen with a lonely, bored expression wrinkling her brow. She didn't feel like doing any of her chores, there weren't much of her chores to do anyways since she had already completed most the day before yesterday. Out of pure habit, Haru ran her slender fingers over her oddly shaped birth mark that rested on her right shoulder. The birth mark was somewhat in the shape of a rose-like figure. The mark was a very dark shade of brown and stood out on her pale, almost pure white skin but it didn't matter since she normally hid it beneath her shirts anyways. The spot of the mark was so unusual that as a child, Haru used to believe it was a tattoo symbolizing that she would have super powers when she grew up. Of course it was a silly idea that she grew out of in fourth grade.

The entire house was dead silent, not a sound was made. Suddenly the sound of rattling coming from the front door, invaded Haru's eardrums. Her head spun towards the source of the sound with expectance in her eyes. The dark shadow of somebody loomed through the window. The door opened revealing a very tanned woman who appeared to be in her early forties. She had long dark blue hair tied in a loose bun at the back with mop-like bangs covering most of her forehead. She wore a black traditional priestess outfit with straw sandals. The woman had a heavy looking, maroon coloured messenger bag pulled over her shoulder. Haru's once lonely face lit up at the sight of the woman.

"Grace!" She yelled while running full speed towards her aunt.

"Haruhi!" Grace called back as she spread out her arms, gesturing for a hug. Her gesture did not go unnoticed. Haru leapt into her aunts arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"Oh Haruhi, I missed you so much!" Haruhi was not Haru's real name; in fact it was her mother's. Haru allowed her aunt to call her Haruhi because of Haru and Haruhi's likenesses, Haru reminded Grace so much of her departed sister. Haru had her mother's hair, face and smile. Grace always liked to remind Haru of how alike she and her sister were. But Haru wasn't all like her mother; in fact she was more like her father. Haru's personality was very similar to her father's; independent, forgetful, kind and considerate. She also had her father's strange yellow-gold eyes and same pale skin. Despite her likeness to her father, Grace despised talking about her father; in fact, Grace hated Haru's father in general. Haru never understood why Grace despised her father so and every time she asked, Grace would get very angry and upset so Haru never brought up her father anymore.

"I missed you too aunt Grace!" Haru yelled breathlessly from her aunts crushing, strong hugs. Grace let go of her niece and gave her a sweet smile.

"I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow?"

"Well your aunt was able to get an earlier flight from Mexico." A sly smile crept onto Grace's face. Haru replied with a joyful smile. It had been nearly three weeks since she last saw her aunt walk through that door and oh how she missed her.

"So how have you been, Haruhi? Did you have enough money? No wild parties or boys right?" Haru giggled at her aunt's joke.

"No don't worry and yeah, everything was fine."

"That's good."

Haru turned on her heel and made her way back into the kitchen to prepare her aunt some coffee. Grace's footsteps echoed behind her. Haru pulled out a coffee mug from a cupboard and placed it under the coffee maker's tap. Her finger pressed against the "Brew" button and the machine began to stream steaming coffee into the cup. Once it was done, Haru picked up the black coffee and placed it in front of Grace who had just taken her seat at the dining table. Grace smiled at the sight of her caffeinated drink. She brought the cup up to her lips and took a long sip. The warm drink rushed down her dry, thirsty throat and filled her with complete bliss. Grace loved her coffee black, it was the only right way to drink coffee in her eyes.

Haru took her seat on the opposite end of the table, studying her aunt as she drank her coffee. Grace looked slightly more tanned than usual which was probably from being under the sun in Mexico for over two weeks. Her eyes looked heavy and had dark rings lingering beneath them from lack of sleep. Haru opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it when she caught sight of her aunt's brow beginning to twitch, mid-sip. That was what she did when she sensed a yokai aura. Haru's mind began to race with different possibilities. Kappa could have entered her room once again or maybe he was outside waiting for Haru. Or maybe grace was picking up Kappa's aura that was left behind on the furniture. Haru broke into a nervous sweat.

"W-what's wrong G-grace?" She stuttered pathetically. Grace was silent. Haru managed to swallow the lump in her throat before forcing out more pointless words.

"I-is something...bothering—"She was interrupted by her aunt's harsh words.

"Haru Higurashi, why am I sensing a faint yokai aura?!" She barked. Haru gulped. She was horrible at lying, especially to her aunt. Haru dug through her mind in search of believable words to deny the fact but instead all she did was a sheepish shrug of her shoulders.

"You're hiding something...and I'm going to figure out what." Haru jumped slightly as her aunt sprung from her chair and headed toward the living room. Grace was a master at seeing through Haru's lies. The girl quickly followed behind her aunt. Grace began to search the living room, looking through everything, including under the pillows. After she raided the living room, Grace moved towards the stairs. She was defiantly looking for something but Haru had no idea what she thought she would find. A demon hiding in her closet? A boy hiding under her bed, left over from a wild party? Sometimes her aunt could be ridiculous.

Haru trailed closely behind Grace, hoping she wouldn't mention any questions about yokai. The two made their way down the upstairs hall until they reached Haru's room door. Grace placed her hand on the brass doorknob and slowly turned it. Grace flung the door open and stepped inside. The woman's chocolate eyes widened at the sight before her. Haru stepped in, giving her aunt a confused look. She followed Graces gaze over to her bed. Haru's gold eyes widened as big as saucers. Her heart did a back flip in her chest before sinking deep down her torso.

There, sitting carefree on her bed was known other than Kappa.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I don't own nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

Haru's heart was pounding so fast she was afraid that it might just pop out of her chest. Her vision began to blur and her head spun from the uproar she was causing herself. Grace stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground. Her brows were furrowed in disbelief, her lips mouthed words that were inaudible to Haru who was focusing more on the Kappa yokai sitting on her bed. He appeared...different than before. He was no longer wearing his old, traditional outfit. Instead he wore a green sleeveless shirt, the colours being very similar to his previous clothes, light beige cargo shorts that came down to his knees and black flip-flops.

Kappa's clothes weren't the only thing that was different. The strange head piece he wore was no longer covering his face. His raven hair appeared slightly longer than before and his scaly arms were now replaced with normal human skin. Kappa actually looked...human.

"And who are you?" Grace snapped in a demanding manner. Her tone was very cold as if speaking to someone who just threatened her.

Grace's icy voice snapped Haru out of her trance. Kappa glanced over at the two women staring at him, one with an impatient look twisted onto her tanned face and another with a look of sheer horror. He pushed himself off the edge of the bed and casually strode over towards Grace. Haru's golden yes were glued to Kappa with clear concern and nervousness written all over it. Kappa dug his hands into his pockets before speaking with a calm and collected tone, as if speaking to a friend.

"I'm Kappa, Haru's friend." He withdrew one hand from his pocket and stretched it out in front of Grace.

She did not respond, instead she studied Kappa carefully as if waiting for him to reveal his true nature as a yokai. Did she really see through Kappa's human appearance or was she merely being suspicious as always—that Haru had no clue of. Haru could still hear her heart thumping rapidly through the heavy silence. Finally after what seemed like forever, Grace spoke.

"Kappa...that's the name of a yokai." Haru's heart did another back flip as the word "yokai" exited her aunt's mouth. Kappa merely nodded. How could he be so calm while being interrogated by Haru's aunt?

"Yes, I get that a lot."

There was another deep and awkward silence as Grace took the time to study Kappa once again. After a little while, Graces fierce, brown eyes shot in Haru's direction in search of the truth. Her aunt stood there awaiting her niece's response. Haru began to process everything in her mind. Finally she realized what Kappa was doing.

"Uh, y-yeah. Kappa's my new friend that I met not too long ago. H-he's really nice to me, unlike the people at school who y'konw...pick on me and stuff."

Grace's expression seemed to soften from her niece's words. It appeared that she didn't notice that Kappa was a yokai. The Kappa's brown eyes shot a glance towards Haru after she spoke. He didn't like the sound of anybody picking on Haru, not one bit. After a few moments of silence, Grace spoke again.

"Well why is he in your room?"

"Well you see, he...he came for a v-visit and then, uh, I just went down stairs to do some stuff and then you came and, uh, y-yeah." Haru sub-consciously began to twiddle her fingers around; something she did when she was under pressure or nervous. Grace gave one last glance towards Kappa who was still looking at Haru, ignoring Grace completely. Grace glanced back at Haru apologetically. She felt bad for interrogating her beloved niece's only friend so rudely. Haru had not had or invited over any friends since she was eleven. Grace felt bad for Haru because she normally was ignored or picked on at her school. Grace had offered to speak with Haru's teachers multiple times but Haru always refused saying that it was no big deal.

Grace gave a weak nod of her head before heading towards the door, stopping just as she was about to exit the room.

"Why don't you and your friend come downstairs? I'd love to get to know Kappa a bit better." With that, Grace left the bedroom. Haru's eyes were glued onto Grace, watching walk down the stairs. Once she was sure her aunt was out of hearing range, Haru sprung over to Kappa, making him jump at her sudden movement.

"How do you look so human?! How did my aunt not notice that you're a yokai?! And why are you in my room?!" Haru yelled rather loudly, her face merely inches from Kappa's. Kappa took a step back before answering.

"All yokai have the ability to mask their aura and fit in with humans. Some are better at it than others and I just happen to have a skill for changing my appearance to human and masking my aura." Haru gave Kappa a dumbfounded look.

She had no idea yokai could pretend to be humans. Now it was clear as to why her aunt was suspicious of human looking beings to be yokai as well. Kappa took notice of the navy haired girl's confusion and attempted to clear things up.

"Many yokai pretend to be human so that they can live among them peacefully. I came here in my human form because I thought you would like me better if I looked more like you."

Haru's expression changed dramatically, as if she were having mood swings. She went from confusion to happiness and understanding within less than a second.

"Oooooooh so that's why you look human! Well it's a good thing you decided to come here looking like that or else Grace would have tried to kill you." Kappa slightly nodded his head, unsure how to respond. Haru began to laugh joyfully.  
Kappa had not heard her truly laugh yet. Her laugh was very unique; a mix of snorting and an insane outburst. Despite her laugh being so odd and unattractive, Kappa still thought it was the most amusing and beautiful sound to ever enter his ears. A small smile tugged on the ends of Kappa's lips until he was happily grinning along with Haru who had ceased her laughter.

"C'mon, let's go." Haru spoke, gesturing to the open door leading to the hall. Kappa nodded before following Haru out of the room and down the stairs. Downstairs in the living room, Grace had set a tray of iced tea on the coffee table. She patiently sat on the couch, awaiting the two teens. She gave a small smile as Haru and Kappa entered the room. Haru took a seat on the couch across from her aunt, Kappa taking the vacant seat next to Haru. The navy haired girl reached out and grasped onto one of the cold glasses of iced tea, bringing it up to her lips and taking a sip. Kappa did the same; he could tell by the taste of the tea running down his seemingly dry throat that it was the same that Haru had offered him yesterday. There was a brief silence as everyone had the first sip of their beverage before Grace spoke.

"So you're a friend of Haruhi?" Kappa raised a fine brow at Grace's last word.

"Haruhi?" He mimicked in slight confusion.

"It's just a nickname." Grace explained very vaguely. Kappa only nodded in response. There was another moment of peaceful silence before Grace spoke yet again, this time showering Kappa with questions.

"So when did you meet? How did you meet and where? Are you just friends or do you have feelings for Haruhi? Have you attempted to kiss her yet? Held her hand yet? Hugged her yet? What about making out? I hope you don't plan on touching my dear Haruhi in that way. Just know that I don't tolerate marriage unless it's at the age of twenty-five." Grace's questions were slow and clear, making sure that they were heard and understandable.

Kappa's face had turned a bright red as did Haru's. He had no idea which to answer first or which he should even answer.

"Well?" Grace pushed even farther, making Kappa feel even more uncomfortable. That woman had a strange skill of pressuring people. The Kappa desperately searched his mind for the right words to save his behind from the wrath of Haru's aunt, forgetting to simply breathe through his desperate search. Finally Haru stepped in to rescue the nervous yokai.

"Um, I think that it's about time that Kappa leaves now. I'll see him off." With that, Haru clutched onto Kappa's hand and dragged him towards the backdoor. As they were halfway to their destination, Grace asked something about the backdoor but Haru ignored it, keeping her eyes on the goal of getting Kappa away from Grace. The two ran to the river, hand in hand. Once they reached the river, Haru turned to face Kappa, giving him a bright smile. They could both feel Grace's fierce, intimidating eyes watching them like a hawk stalking its prey from the back sliding door. Kappa knew that he wouldn't be able to swim back in the river until he was out of sight, instead he would walk back along the edge of the river until the cost was clear.

Haru raised there intertwined hands in front of them. "Come back soon okay?" Her tone lowered as she finished her sentence but her gold eyes never left Kappa's. "I...enjoy having a friend around." Haru added. Kappa could feel nothing but happiness as her hand remained in his, their eyes being locked onto each others. Kappa let his mind wonder a bit within the few moments they had together. Their lips being locked in a passionate kiss of pure bliss. Kappa holding Haru tightly in his arms as he attacked her neck with kisses—Kappa's daydream was interrupted once Haru released his hand, letting it drop to his side. She gave him one last sincere smile before turning away and jogging back to her house. The water yokai watched as his the girl left, becoming out of sight. He let out a disappointed sigh.

He knew that he shouldn't have let his mind wonder to such daydreams. He was becoming too attached to Haru and the more he grew to love her, the more his heart would break. He was a fool to have thought that they could really be together. Once Kappa was sure that Grace was no longer watching him, he turned back into his yokai form and dived back into the river, heading in the direction pf home.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own Nurarihyon no mago or any of its characters_

Haru let out a sigh to signify the great boredom she was experiencing. She pushed herself off of the counter from where she had just been sitting and began to slowly stride about the house. It had been five long and miserable days since Grace had left for her next mark and even worse, since Haru's _only_ friend, Kappa, had come to visit. She had remembered telling him to make sure that he would come to visit but Haru feared that her request had fallen on deaf ears.

It had been extremely lonely without anyone to talk to, not to mention that school had been such a drag since she didn't have any friends and the only class she seemed to truly excel in was art. Haru let out another 'I-have-nothing-to-do' sigh as she turned the corner and had somehow subconsciously made her way to the entrance of her room. Haru merely shrugged her shoulders and pushed open the white wooden door which had been slightly open, allowing a thin ray of sunlight peek through.

As she entered, Haru was welcomed by bright sunlight that illuminated the dull bedroom and surrounded her in its blissful warmth. Haru paid no attention to the bright sun, instead she dragged her feet towards her bed and feel face first into the abyss of fluffy pillows and softness. Haru rolled herself over onto her back and stared intently at the white ceiling as if waiting for it to spawn a mouth and begin to speak. Her golden eyes managed to spot a small black speck resting above her head which she could only identify as a spider. A ghostly smile crept onto the girl's thin pale lips as the memory of her crazy aunt's horrible fear of spiders and all the crazy ways she reacted to them, slipped into her thoughts.

Haru remembered last Christmas, when there was a spider crawling carelessly on Grace's back as she struggled to cut her horribly burnt, homemade cake. Once Haru had pointed it out, Grace jumped so high that Haru feared she was at risk of hitting her head on the ceiling. Grace, being the helpless fool that she was when she began to panic, attempted to stab the spider with the knife that she held. If it wasn't for Haru snatching the knife away, Grace would have stabbed herself!

That was defiantly one holiday that Haru could never forget. Haru sat up in her bed and took a glance around her room. There was not much to do there since she had already finished her daily routine. Haru thought for a few moments more before deciding that the only place she could go when she had nothing to do was the river. The navy haired girl rolled off her bed and made her way towards her dresser. After skimming the contents of the top drawer that contained a messy collage of shirts, Haru pulled out a black T-shirt that read "Kingdom Hearts II" which was her favourite game series.

Haru pushed the top drawer back into place and moved to the bottom drawer. The inside looked similar to the top except it was full of pants, leggings and long shorts. Haru pulled out a pair of long black and white stripped leggings and a pair of long denim shorts that came down just above her knees. She slipped on her selected outfit before almost sprinting down the stairs in a slight hurry to evacuate the boring house.

Haru ran to the backdoor and lazily slipped on her dark brown combat boots, not bothering to tie the black laces. She exited through the backdoor and started for the river, rustling through the tall grass (that was more like a jungle) before reaching her destination. Haru plopped herself down on the ground in front of the river. She pulled her legs in close to her chest and hugged them in a somewhat lonely manner. Haru's golden eyes watched the calm water before her flow peacefully from one direction to the other.

The sound of the running water complimented the cheerful chirping of the birds, creating a relaxing atmosphere. Haru sat and waited. She tried to tell herself that she didn't know what she was waiting for but Haru knew that she was actually waiting for a certain yokai to show himself once again. After what seemed like hours, Haru was still waiting, sitting in the same position with her legs hugged tightly to her chest.

The relaxing sound of birds and water was broken in the instant as an ear-piercing sound come from the forest surrounding her house. Haru's gaze bolted to the source of the sound and waited for it to stop. After a few minutes of staring, the noise stopped for a mere thirty seconds before it came again. The noise that infiltrated Haru's eardrums and stabbed them repeatedly would not cease. It did not take Haru long before she bolted up from where she sat and began running towards the sound like the reckless idiot she was. Once she entered the forest, her run slowly decreased into a jog before she found herself making her way at a walking pace.

As Haru ventured further and further into the forest, the horrid sound became louder and louder with each step she took. Soon enough, the sound became unbearably loud to the point of Haru throwing her hands over her ears to block out the loudness but to no avail. Haru's golden eyes shot a glance in every direction in an attempt to find the source of the sound. All she could see was trees, trees, trees and—Haru glanced up at the falling tree before her with complete terror molding her face. Haru, luckily, managed to snap out of the trance of horror that she had fallen in for half a second and jumped to the left, out of the tree's range.

The dead tree fell to the ground with a loud thump. Haru's golden eyes shot dagger-like glares to whomever or whatever had cut down the tree. A shadowy figure merged onto the large trunk of the fallen tree. In its hand was a large chainsaw running its teeth around in a cycle, creating a loud noise. The figure wore all black, even its spiky hair was a raven colour except for the moonlight-pale skin and the crimson red highlights.

Haru couldn't tell if the figure was a human or a yokai but whatever it was, she was sure that it wouldn't be friendly. The stranger's lips curled into an intimidating smirk. Haru could feel its eyes studying her as if she were an object waiting to be claimed. Haru's mind was completely blank. She had no idea what could be done nor could she bring herself to do anything she might think up. The navy haired girl just sat helplessly on the floor. Before Haru could make a move the figure leapt off of the trunk and landed in a crouching position in front of the now trembling human.

Though the stranger was closer, the shadow of their bangs still covered its face; all she could identify was that the figure was male. He still wore the disturbingly mischievous smirk on his lifelessly pale face. Haru knew that she could no longer sit; she would have to run away from this strange boy, man, teen? Just as Haru attempted to pounce from her spot on the ground, the boy's slender, cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her towards him. No words were said, no actions were done. The force of the boy's pull brought Haru backwards into the cold and uncomfortable arms of her possible attacker.

Before Haru could push him away, the boy crashed his lips onto hers and trapped her in a long and unwanted kiss.

**Author's note: Wow I just noticed that there was no speaking in this chapter :P Well I left a few unanswered questions didn't I? Who is that strange boy? Is he human or a yokai? Will Kappa ever return to Haru or will Haru have to come to him? Find out in the next chapter **


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